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Brisbane Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen has blamed the NRL salary cap for creating a leadership vacuum at the club, saying that in turn has contributed to the growing drinking culture.
The Broncos, including new coach Ivan Henjak, today announced a 10-point plan to combat the growing drinking culture with policies including curfews and a ban on players drinking between Sunday matches and Friday games.
Cullen said a sudden change in demographic and lack of leadership was responsible for the increase in alcohol-fuelled off-field incidents over the past few years.
“We have got a very young squad now, we do lack a strong, mature leadership group. And that’s what happened with the salary cap,” Cullen said.
He said the departure of Shane Webcke, Petero Civoniceva and Brad Thorn had given way to a younger demographic who had few leaders to keep them in check.
“I guess when you’re walking into training on Monday and you’ve got to walk up and talk to Petero and Thorn and Webcke, the day before you might be thinking about having to do that the next day and pulling back a little bit,” Cullen said.
“Whereas if you’re all the same age and you all are of that same outfit you’re out together and (you think): `Who cares, sort of, what they think of me tomorrow’.”
Cullen dismissed reports that the new policies were the strictest in the NRL, saying not much had changed from the early years at the club.
“Going back a few years to explain it, again talking about Webcke and Petero and (Darren) Lockyer and Thorn and those guys, they’d sit down in the dressing shed after a particular game,” he said.
“In consultation with Wayne (Bennett), they’d say: `Benny we’ve got an eight-day break and we think we should go out tonight and have a few beers but we promise everyone will be home at midnight or one o’clock.
“It was a self-management thing, but at the moment we’ve decided to take that management back.”
He said other policies to be introduced or more strictly enforced included prohibiting alcohol for players with soft tissue injuries, Saturday night curfews, no alcohol in dressing sheds and Sunday morning training.
The plan comes after a tumultuous final week of both the 2008 season and the end of Wayne Bennett’s 21-year tenure at the club, which was overshadowed by what Cullen described as “disappointing” player behaviour.
The week saw Karmichael Hunt, Sam Thaiday and Darius Boyd interviewed by police for sexual assault allegations and Darren Lockyer admitting to manhandling a security guard.
“The players have been very supportive – they’re taking some responsibility for what’s happened in the past year,” he said.
“I’m sure the players would want to try and win their own trust back and they’ve got the opportunity to do that over the next 12 months or so.”
Notable Brisbane Broncos incidents:
2008 – Karmichael Hunt, Sam Thaiday and Darius Boyd investigated by Queensland police following sexual assault allegations.
2008 – Darren Lockyer admitted to manhandling a security bouncer at Casablanca. No charges laid.
2008 – Broncos forward Sam Thaiday dropped for one match against the New Zealand Warriors after failing to turn up to training.
2007 – Karmichael Hunt and Ian Lacey interviewed by police after socialising with a Southport man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a cab driver outside the Sofitel Hotel. Both cleared.
2007 – Brisbane Broncos forward Ian Lacey handed a suspended jail term for the near-fatal bashing of a man outside a Brisbane pub.
2007 – John Te Reo shown the door by the Broncos after internal investigations revealed he was involved in the Lacey incident.
2006 – Neville Costigan charged with drink driving and sacked.
2006 – Brett Seymour sacked after allegations he head-butted a woman on the dance floor of Brisbane’s Regatta Hotel. No charges laid.
1995 – Julian O’Neill released after alcohol-fuelled incidents including allegations he urinated under a blackjack table at Jupiter’s Casino.
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